The iPad 2 continues to shift expectations for consumers. Consumers now have very high interaction and user experience expectations, but most service organizations are still stuck in the ’80s and ’90s when it comes to ‘functionally’-led solutions for customers. User interface design needs to be a core competency of any services business these days, or you need to have a great supporting team in place.

Apple showed off Apps like iMovie ($4.99), GarageBand ($4.99) and the FaceTime (free) App as examples of how interaction is changing as a result of the iPad. But more than that, Apple showed how the iPad is changing interactions in schools, at the workplace, for doctors treating patients, for pilots doing flight planning and many other examples. The iPad user interface along with multi-touch is reinventing these types of journeys through smart redesign of the interaction.

To expect that customers will be forgiving in the face of poor operating procedures, poor interaction design and outdated screen design and flow is a huge mistake. Using regulation or internal bank policy (for an example) as an excuse, just won’t cut it anymore. Customers will be measuring the effectiveness of their service providers based on these types of ‘interaction’ metrics now, not on how many branches you have or what your interest rates are.